flapjack
Americannoun
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a pancake or griddlecake.
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British. a small case for face powder; compact.
noun
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a chewy biscuit made with rolled oats
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another word for pancake
Regionalisms
See pancake.
Etymology
Origin of flapjack
First recorded in 1590–1600; flap (in the obsolete sense “to flip a pancake”) + jack 1, a catchall, humorous term for an object or person ( see crackerjack)
Explanation
A flapjack is a cake cooked on a grill or griddle, usually for breakfast. You can also call flapjacks "pancakes" — and when they're served with real maple syrup and berries, you can call them delicious! Other terms for flapjacks include "hotcakes" and "griddlecakes." They're thin cakes made from batter that's cooked briefly on both sides in butter or oil. Flapjacks are usually sweet and served with syrup or fruit. There are many variations on the flapjack, including the delicate French crêpe, the Canadian buckwheat ploye, and the potato pancake. The word flapjack is believed to come from flipping, or "flapping," the cake on a griddle.
Vocabulary lists containing flapjack
Scrabble: High Scoring Words
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20 Common Words That Will Boost Your Scrabble Score
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I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
About 20 new species have been unearthed as a result of the voyage so far, including the Carnavon Flapjack Octopus, a rusty red creature around 4cm big.
From BBC • Oct. 21, 2025
Nearly 20 new species have now been described with the help of specimens collected on the 2022 voyage, including the Carnarvon Flapjack Octopus announced earlier in 2025.
From Science Daily • Oct. 8, 2025
OliverStrand @young_barista What was your signature drink? young_barista @OliverStrand I took some of the taste notes of the Finca Bourbon; flapjack, rich maple syrup and 100% chocolate over espresso OliverStrand @young_barista Flapjack?
From New York Times • Feb. 22, 2011
They made all kinds of food and such and they even had a special blanket made out of sewed-together flowers to go ’cross Flapjack the mule’s back so’s he could lead a parade.
From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis
I looked a little farther down the road and saw Old Flapjack had decided he waren’t too fond of running.
From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
